The Cyclical Nature of Executive Dysfunction and Mental Health Issues
The Cyclical Nature of Executive Dysfunction and Mental Health Issues
Staff Writer: Danielle Yampuler
Life can often feel like a whirlwind of events, responsibilities, and duties to complete. Everybody feels burnt out, distracted, or unmotivated sometimes — this is especially true for those with mental health issues. Many common mental health disorders, such as depression and ADHD, cause executive dysfunction.
The Cleveland Clinic defines executive dysfunction as “a behavioral symptom that disrupts a person’s ability to manage their own thoughts, emotions, and actions.” Executive dysfunction is so common, yet many who have this symptom often feel too embarrassed by its effects to discuss it. These negative feelings that result from executive dysfunction can worsen the mental health issues that caused this symptom to manifest in the first place. Walt’s Waltz is dedicated to fighting mental health stigma, and one aspect of that is providing education on mental health issues to minimize the shame surrounding them. In this post, we hope to deepen your understanding of executive dysfunction. We also hope to present coping mechanisms and tools that those who struggle with it can use to alleviate its effects.
Have you ever heard of a “depression room”? A depression room is a slang term for a room that is very messy due to a depressed person’s inability to feel motivated enough to clean it. This lack of motivation to complete tasks one may truly wish to do is a common manifestation of executive dysfunction. Another common manifestation of executive dysfunction is an inability to focus properly. Those who struggle with executive dysfunction may find that they struggle to pay attention in class or to their friends’ conversations, but can play a single video game for hours. This is why lack of focus and hyperfocus are common symptoms of ADHD — both are caused by executive dysfunction. One other common manifestation is a lack of impulse control. Those who struggle with executive dysfunction may accidentally consistently say or do things that embarrass them or hurt the feelings of others.
Executive dysfunction is a complex symptom of mental health disorders that can result in all of these issues and more. Struggling with these issues is distressing and can worsen depression and anxiety. When these conditions worsen, it becomes even more difficult for a person to focus, causing executive dysfunction to become even harder to deal with. In that way, mental health issues and executive dysfunction form a cycle that serves to make a person feel worse and worse. However, there are many things a person can do to break this cycle.
If you are a person who struggles with motivation as a result of poor mental health, it may help to invite a friend or family member to help you complete tasks. For example, if you feel unable to push yourself to clean your room, try inviting a close friend to keep you company as you do so. This friend can hold you accountable, and if they truly care about you and your health, they will not judge you for struggling. If you often forget about tasks, try writing down reminders somewhere you will see them, such as on sticky notes at your desk. If you struggle to complete tasks because they seem too time-consuming and overwhelming, try breaking them down into smaller steps. For example, if you need to write a long essay for class, first push yourself to write the introduction. Then, you can take a break and push yourself to write the body of the essay afterwards.
Of course, it is much easier to encourage somebody to adopt habits that combat executive dysfunction than it is to practice them. At the end of the day, if it is truly a struggle to get anything done, it is likely best to seek professional help in the form of a therapist. A therapist can help you develop coping mechanisms more specifically tailored to you and your needs.
If you or someone you are close to struggles with executive dysfunction, we hope you have been equipped with multiple avenues that can be taken to address this symptom. At Walt’s Waltz, we believe one of the best ways to decrease mental health stigma is to discuss even the more taboo aspects of mental health disorders. If you have judged a peer or even yourself for showing symptoms of executive dysfunction, we hope this knowledge will prevent you from doing so in the future. Mental health challenges can be difficult to navigate, but with the proper education, even the most draining of symptoms can become easier to deal with.